Batting first after winning the toss, Mumbai Indians got off to horrendous start, losing three wickets for just 54 runs. Kolkata would feel relatively better after getting rid of dangerous Jayasuriya and explosive Sachin Tendulkar out. Harbhajan Singh who came after the fall of Jayasuriya could not do much and was dismissed for 6 runs after facing seven deliveries.

Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar called right at the toss and decided to take first strike against a Kolkata Knight Riders side, languishing at the bottom of the points table.

Tags: Harbhajan Singh, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL Updates, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Mumbai Indians, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya

Related posts

• Rajasthan back to form with winning streak (0)
• TCS becomes Tech Partner for Rajasthan Royals (0)
• Compaq Cup: Match 2: India beat New Zealand by 6 wickets (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Mumbai Indians: Kallis and Uthappa led Bangalore to win (0)
• Mumbai Indians Wait for Semi Spot as Punjab Wins (0)

Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya would return to haunt Kolkata Knight Riders when they open up once again on Friday just days after their 92-run drubbing at the hands of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

The veteran duo pulverized the Knight Riders’ attack and whatever resistance Brendon McCullum’s side tried to put up was smothered by the pace of Lasith Malinga and the medium pace of youngster Abhishek Nayar.

Between the two teams, Mumbai Indians have the distinct edge despite their narrow three-run defeat to Kings XI Punjab last night.

They are fourth in the table with five points from five matches compared to Knight Riders’ three from six. The Kolkata side is having a torrid time, having lost four of their matches to be lodged at the bottom of the table.

Opener Chris Gayle has been mildly successful but skipper McCullum seems to be saddled by the burden of captaincy and has been far from his destructive self. Without a sound start, it has been left to Brad Hodge and Sourav Ganguly to give the batting some shape but unlike Mumbai Indians, the Knight Riders lack depth.

In the bowling department too, Mumbai are well equipped than their rivals. The fearsome Malinga, who knocked the winds out of the Knight Riders and has emerged the highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 11 scalps so far, will get plenty of support from an in-form Zaheer Khan.There’s the medium pace of West Indian Dwayne Bravo and Nayar and the experience of Harbhajan Singh and Mumbai Indians look a compact side.

Not so for Knight Riders for whom Ishant Sharma has been the sole bowler of note. Ganguly has rolled his arms over but with moderate success and it was Hodge who has impressed the most with his spin.

Knight Riders have struggled in the fast bowling department and Ashok Dinda and Ajit Agarkar has come a cropper so far.

A fractious team hasn’t helped the cause either and Knight Riders would be praying for a miracle as they look to register their second win in the tournament.

Tags: Brad Hodge, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Ishanth Sharma, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Mumbai Indians, Lasith Malinga, Mumbai Indians, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sourav Ganguly, Zaheer Khan

Related posts

• Chennai Super Kings Vs Rajasthan Royals: Will Chennai improve fielding? (0)
• 1st Test: England Vs Australia (0)
• Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Mumbai Indians pose with a great Victory (0)
• IPL Season 2 Timetable (0)
• McCullum is Knight Riders Captain (0)

Bangalore Royal Challengers restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to 139/6 in 20 overs in the 19th match of the second edition of the Indian Premier League at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.

Morne van Wyk top scored for Kolkata with an unbeaten 44 that came off 35 balls and was studded with 4 fours. West Indian captain Chris Gayle hit 6 fours in 37-ball 40.

Gayle was dismissed when he hit a KP Appanna delivery to long on where Shreevats Goswami came running from deep mid-wicket and dived to take the catch.

Anil Kumble took 2 wickets in his spell of 4 overs as Kolkata kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Kolkata were 61/3 in 10 overs.

Batting first after winning the toss, Kolkata got off to a worst start possible as captain Brendon McCullum cut the first delivery of the match by his Bangalore counterpart Kevin Pietersen to backward point for Virat Kohli to take the catch.

Bangalore are playing three frontline spinners, but Pietersen, a part-time spinner, opened the bowling and struck with his first delivery.

Kumble struck in his first over when trapped Brad Hodge (17) plumb in front of the wicket by a straighter delivery. Hodge hit a six and a four in his 17-run knock that came off 15 balls.

Former captain Sourav Ganguly pulled a Praveen Kumar delivery to deep mid-wicket for Jacuqes Kallis to take the catch in the ninth over.

Tags: Anil Kumble, Appanna, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Brad Hodge, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Kevin Pietersen, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Morne, Praveen Kumar, Royal Challengers Vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan, Shreevats Goswami, Sourav Ganguly, Vijay Mallya, Virat Kohli

Related posts

• Chennai Super Kings Vs Rajasthan Royals: Will Chennai improve fielding? (0)
• Afridi might play for New South Wales (0)
• IPL II Updates: Bangalore and Punjab won at the last (0)
• Royal Challengers vs Kings XI Punjab: RC won by 8 wickets (0)
• Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders: McCullum and Hodge helps Kolkata register 7 wicket win (0)

Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan returned to India from South Africa on Wednesday morning and the visibly upset Bollywood actor said that he won’t go back to cheer his team unless they win games in the second season of the IPL.

Speaking to press Shah Rukh mentioned that he won’t go back to South Africa unless his team starts winning. He said, “If they do well I will go back. I am feeling sad for the boys because there is a lot of talent in the team. There is a lot of hard work to be done.”

On the current skipper Brendon McCullum’s run in this season King Khan said, “Brendon McCullum is fantastic. I just think he needs to get cracking with the bat. He needs to get out this bad run and come back into form. But then I think he will get back and get out of it.”

Praising Sourav Ganguly’s performance in South Africa, he added, “As always Dada is doing fantastic and very well. But the team needs to click together so as soon as they do that then they will win.”

Knight Riders are having a lacklustre tournament so far with just one victory in their hands from 5 games. There have been talks of growing frustrations among the team members apart from a series of off-field controversies.

Tags: Brendon McCullum, Dada, IPL 2010 - IPL 3, IPL South Africa, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Shah Rukh Khan, Sourav Ganguly

Related posts

• Knight Riders Vs Kings XI Punjab: Gayle leads Knight Riders to first Victory (0)
• Dhoni out of IPL for 10 days (0)
• Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Rajasthan Royals: Kolkata won toss and opts to bowlout Rajasthan (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Mumbai Indians: Kallis and Uthappa led Bangalore to win (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Delhi Daredevils: Daredevils won by 6 wickets (0)

Here is the interesting information from the Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders match of the Indian Premier League that ended favourable for Sachin led Mumbai Indians.

• Mumbai Indians (187/6) registered their highest ever total against Kolkata Knight Riders, bettering the 138 for three at Kolkata last year.
• Mumbai Indians, with a 92-run victory (their biggest in terms of runs in the IPL) have now won all their three IPL encounters against Kolkata Knight Riders.
• With a comprehensive win over Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians have posted their second win in four matches in the 2009 edition of the IPL.
• Overall, Mumbai Indians have won 9 and lost eight out of 17 IPL games.
• Kolkata Knight Riders have lost 9 and won 7 out of 17 games played till date (1 No Result). They could win only a single game out of five IPL games in the 2009 edition.
• Kolkata’s 95 is their second lowest total in the IPL. In the first edition of the IPL, they had made 67 against Mumbai at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
• Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya, with their 127-run partnership for the first wicket, posted Mumbai Indians’ first century stand for this wicket-position in the IPL.
• Sachin’s 68 off 45 balls is his highest score in the IPL, bettering the 65 off 46 balls against Kings XI at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai last year.
• Sachin has made 351 (ave.43.87), including three fifties in 10 IPL matches.
• Sachin has been adjudged Man of the Match for the second time in the IPL.
• Lasith Malinga and Abhishek Nayar have recorded their his best bowling figures in the IPL.
• Jayasuriya (52 off 32 balls) has posted his first fifty in the second edition of the IPL, which is his third overall besides a hundred in the first edition.
• Mumbai Indians posted their biggest victory by runs margin in the IPL while Kolkata Knight Riders recorded their biggest defeat in terms of runs in the IPL.

Tags: Abhishek Nayar, Brendon McCullum, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Malinga, Mumbai Indians, Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sourav Ganguly

Related posts

• IPL Chennai Super kings v Mumbai Indians Live streaming sopcast Link (0)
• IPL Season 2 Timetable (0)
• Sachin and Zaheer out of West Indies tour (0)
• Dada’s Day out in the Eden Garden (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Rajasthan Royals: Anil Kumble bowls out Rajasthan with 5/5 (0)

Mumbai Indians scored 187/6 in 20 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 17th match of the second edition of the Indian Premier League at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.

Captain Sachin Tendulkar and his opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya put the Kolkata Knight Riders attack to the sword with a blazing partnership of 127 runs in just 12.1 overs as Mumbai Indians notched up the highest total at St. George’s Park in any form of Twenty20 cricket.

Winning the toss and batting first, Tendulkar led the brutal assault with a knock of 68 runs off 45 balls that was studded with 4 sixes and 6 fours, slamming his third IPL fifty in the process.

Jayasuriya also hit his third IPL fifty with the help of 4 sixes and 2 fours and was dismissed for 52 that came off 32 deliveries.

Both Tendulkar and Jayasuriya were dismissed by Laxmi Ratan Shukla in consecutive overs. Shukla first trapped Tendulkar in front of the wicket in the 13th over and in his next over had Jayasuriya caught by Arindam Ghosh at backward point.

Harbhajan Singh, promoted to the number three position, hit 2 sixes and a four in his 18-run knock that came off 8 deliveries.

He was dismissed when he pulled a low full toss from Brad Hodge to deep mid-wicket for Ajantha Mendis to take the catch.

Tags: Ajanta Mendis, Ajantha Mendis, Harbhajan Singh, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Mumbai Indians, Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shah Rukh Khan, Shukla

Related posts

• Mumbai Indians Vs Rajasthan Royals: Warne could not defy playing Tendulkar (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma helped Hyderabad win Mumbai (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Chennai Super Kings: Challengers won by 2 wickets (0)
• Sachin proud of Dhoni’s leadership (0)
• 1st Test: England Vs Australia (0)

The rain seems to keep following the Knight Riders since the IPL’s kick-off. There has been one game where the Kolkata team have not faced heavy showers.

Kolkata Team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan has quoted that the pitch here in South Africa will provide some assistance to the spinners like now, it being the fag end of their season. This is one of the reasons why we have got Ajantha Mendis in the squad and I am sure he will have an important role to play in the matches to come.

The whole team was disappointed with the result of the game against the Rajasthan Royals, a game we should have won easily. But we need to put this behind and focus on the nexst match. The Mumbai Indians are a pretty balanced team with their strength lying in the top order in the form of Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. If we can get them early, we would have gone a long way towards winning the game. It will not be easy for players like JP Duminy and Dwayne Bravo to play Mendis for the first time. Sachin has been in good form and I am sure the Knight Riders would love to see him make an early exit in Monday’s game.

The Mumbai Indians have a good bowling attack with Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga, Bravo and Harbhajan Singh. Especially Malinga, who looks to be in good form after his comeback from a long injury break and is bowling with a lot of variation. Zaheer has had an outstanding year in Test cricket and although he might be a bit tired with the amount of cricket he has played, he will still be a major force to reckon with.

Tags: Ajanta Mendis, Ajantha Mendis, Brendon McCullum, Duminy, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Malinga, Mumbai Indians, Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shah Rukh Khan, Zaheer Khan

Related posts

• Worst bowling cost us loss against Kolkata says Dhoni (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Deccan Chargers: Manish Pandey’s century helps Bangalore win (0)
• Bhajji sizzles with Allround skills as Chennai Slumps against Royalss (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Kings XI Punjab: Yuvraj’s second hat-trick helps Punjab win by 1 run (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Rajasthan Royals: Rajasthan beat Deccan Chargers (0)

Yusuf Pathan smashed 18 runs off four balls as the Royals snatched victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders in a ’super over’ after their Indian Premier League match ended in a tie at Newlands on Thursday.

Kolkata needed only seven to win off the last over of the normal match, bowled by teenaged left-arm fast bowler Kamran Khan.

After starting the over with a wide, Khan, 18, dismissed former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly for 46 with his fifth ball.

With two needed to win off the last ball, Ishant Sharma hit a fierce drive which was parried by Royals captain Shane Warne at cover. The batsmen ran one but Sharma was run out attempting the winning run.

Khan was entrusted with the ’super over’ and was struck for three successive fours by Chris Gayle as the Knight Riders scored 15 for one, with Gayle caught off the last ball.

Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who took two for 19 in four overs in the match, bowled the ’super over’ for Kolkata but Pathan hit him for 6, 2, 6, 4.

Chasing a modest total of 150 for six, Kolkata twice seemed headed for victory. Gayle was in imperious form as he hit 41 off 33 balls before falling to Warne.

The pendulum swung to the Royals with 44 needed off 25 balls.

But Ganguly slammed a no-ball from Munaf Patel for six, then made use of the free hit off the next ball to thrash another six.

With the target reduced to 31 off 24 balls, Ganguly seemed set to take Kolkata home before chasing a wide ball from Khan to be caught behind.

Pathan, who top-scored with 42 in his team’s full innings, was named man of the match.

Tags: IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL Updates, Ishanth Sharma, Kamran Khan, Knight Riders, Knight Riders Vs Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight riders, Munaf Patel, Rajasthan Royals, Shane Warne, Sourav Ganguly, Yusuf Pathan

Related posts

• Match 4: West Indies vs India: India won ODI series (2)
• Gilchrist wants sixes for charity (0)
• Chennai Super Kings Vs Rajasthan Royals: Badrinath, Hayden lead to Chennai victory (0)
• No knight Riders without Sourav: Shah Rukh (0)
• IPL 2 – Semi-Final 2-Chennai Super Kings Vs Royal Challengers (0)

Chris Gayle led the Kolkata Knight Riders to an 11-run win over the Kings XI Punjab in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match before rain washed out the day’s second match at Kingsmead on Tuesday.

Gayle blasted his way to an unbeaten 44 off 26 balls with two fours and four sixes as Kolkata beat Punjab on the Duckworth/Lewis method.

In response to Punjab’s 158 for six, Kolkata reached 79 for one after 9.2 overs, comfortably ahead of the required Duckworth/Lewis par score of 68, before rain forced the players from the field.

Gayle, who was dropped at midwicket by Karan Goel with his score on two, and Brendon McCullum got Kolkata’s run chase off to an ideal start with a first-wicket stand of 57 runs off 37 balls before McCullum was caught behind by keeper Kumar Sangakkara off the bowling of seamer Vikramjeet Malik.

After being put in to bat by Kolkata under leaden skies, and on a pitch offering some seam movement, Punjab made a good fist of their innings with their total being built around blistering knocks of 32 runs off 17 balls from the left-handed Irfan Pathan and 38 runs off 28 balls from Yuvraj Singh.

Mahela Jayawardene gave his team some momentum towards the end of their innings as he ended not out on 31 off 19 balls which included scoring 14 runs off the last over of Punjab’s innings.

Sourav Ganguly was Kolkata’s most successful bowler as the medium pacer returned figures of two for 24 off four overs which included taking two wickets in three balls to reduce Punjab to 48 for three in the seventh over.

Tags: bollywood, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, IPL 2, IPL 2009 News, IPL South Africa, Irfan Pathan, Kings XI Punjab, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Kings XI Punjab, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh

Related posts

• Deccan Chargers Vs Knight Riders: Deccan Chargers come out fully charged (0)
• Dwayne Bravo – The Hero of West Indies (0)
• Royal Challengers vs Deccan Chargers: RC hope to bounce back (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Royal Challengers: Thrilling Clash between Deccan and Bangalore (0)
• Match 1: West Indies Vs India: India Won by 20 runs (0)

Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab have weather as a reason to worry about since both the teams have suffered defeats in their opening matches in IPL season 2.

They are, after all, to play here on Tuesday (the day’s first match) and desperate to log their first points.

“Right now, I’m largely thinking of the weather… I’ve been informed that there’s a 60 per cent chance of rain in the morning,” the Kings XI captain, Yuvraj Singh, told.

While his team lost to the Delhi DareDevils in a rain-shortened match, the Knight Riders were handed an eight-wicket defeat by the Deccan Chargers.

Both matches were in Cape Town.

Yuvraj, though, isn’t reading too much into the losses. “We were, to a large extent, done in by rain… As for the Knight Riders, I see them as dangerous… Any team with Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum at the top would be just that…”

Till late on Monday, the Knight Riders’ XI hadn’t been finalised. It’s to be seen whether Mashrafe Mortaza, who’d been fiercely sought by the Kings XI during this year’s auction, is fielded by the Knight Riders.

The match, indeed, will be both a cricket and a Bollywood battle — Shah Rukh Khan versus Preity Zinta, off the field.

Tags: bollywood, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, IPL 2, IPL 2009 News, IPL South Africa, Ipl T20, Ishanth Sharma, Kings XI Punjab, Knight Riders, Kolkata Knight riders, Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Kings XI Punjab, Mashrafe Mortaza, Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj, Yuvraj Singh

Related posts

• Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Mumbai Indians pose with a great Victory (0)
• Hussey opts out of IPL (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Kings XI Punjab: Kings hope for better luck (0)
• IPL 2 – Semi-Final 1 – Delhi Daredevils Vs Deccan Chargers (0)
• Match 3: West Indies vs India: India won toss, opts to bowl first (0)